That ought to get your attention. Yes, I know the results of these games are mostly meaningless, and three wins doesn't make a juggernaut, an astronaut, or any other kind of naut.
Though the result was for naught, the Cubs beat the Rangers 10-4 at Surprise today, running their 2009 exhibition record to 3-0, in front of another smallish spring crowd of 5,413 (less than half the Surprise Stadium capacity.
It was strange trying to follow the game on the spring training Gameday, which is a stripped-down version of what we'll see in the regular season, with no audio available today. (There won't be any tomorrow, either.) But from what I could tell:
- Ted Lilly looked fine in his couple of innings of work. Have a nice trip, Ted, and see you in a few weeks. Aaron Heilman gets the start tomorrow against the White Sox (Rich Harden still isn't ready, and that's not a cause for worry, because it's so early).
- The Micah Hoffpauir Fan Club had another banner day, as Hoffpauir hit a three-run homer and singled and took over (for whatever this number is worth) the major league spring training lead in RBI with 7. The Sam Fuld Fan Club (I'm looking at YOU, Jessica) should also be happy today; little Sammy hit a homer off Warner Madrigal (love his singers!).
- Little Babe Ruth, aka Mike Fontenot, also homered, and in addition, smacked a two-run triple. As long as he's not going to face any lefthanded pitching, he ought to be just fine. (The Rangers threw all RHP while Fontenot was in the game.)
- The Cubs' miscellaneous minor leaguers who served as the bullpen today threw well enough, allowing seven hits and three earned in seven innings of work, while striking out seven. (We won't mention the six walks -- oops, sorry.) The one pitcher I really would have liked to see do well, Rocky "Raccoon" Roquet, gave up a two-run double to Adam Melhuse (who was in Cubs camp a couple years ago. How old is that guy, anyway?)
While we await Milton Bradley's next appearance on the field (you have photographic evidence, below, that he actually did so once), check out this cubs.com article about him, with much praise from his manager at Texas last year, Ron Washington.
Right-hander Jeff Marquez, who the White Sox acquired in the Nick Swisher deal from the Yankees, will start for the Sox tomorrow, and the Sox intend to bring starting players Carlos Quentin, Josh Fields, Jermaine Dye, Cub fan anti-favorite A.J. Pierzynski and Jim Thome over to Mesa tomorrow.
